Background:
This unbiased review is necessary since there are currently no reviews on Yelp for Bertussi Plumbing. I was surprised to see this since they are a big name in Pearl River plumbing and frankly, have a bit of a reputation. However, if you are familiar with Pearl River and the age of most residents, I'm not surprised they don't use Yelp.
I hired Bertussi to do a very simple plumbing job. In fact, it's something that can be done by most DIY'ers. That said, I partially hired them for the opportunity of being able to write a review based on my own experience!
This pipe routing job should take no more than an hour plus parts costing under $40 at Lowes. All pipes are threaded. No flames necessary. Like a said, can be done by a DIYer. Now, knowing their reputation and that of plumbers in general, I figured they'd find a way to charge close to $200 for the job. (e.g. 1 hour job minimum, parts markup, etc) Realistically, $175-$200, simply because they are plumbers.
About the experience:
They are "closed" on weekends, unless you want to use their "emergency services". Lord no!! $$$ I left a message about the job I needed done and they called me promptly Monday morning. Very nice lady on the phone and she booked me for that Monday afternoon. The plumber who showed up eventually gave me a call later that day when he'd arrive in 15 minutes, which was fine. The plumber was very nice, friendly and did a great job handling this simple task. He was mostly honest.
When I showed him the job, he began working and quickly I interrupted and asked, "so how much do you think this would cost." He indicated that "he had no idea". He said it depends on what the boss charges based on the hourly rate of $132/hr plus parts. hehe ...He did say that this job shouldn't take too long and no, it shouldn't. Now, plumbers charge different rates in different regions and actually, this can vary from $60/hr to upwards of $150/hr. Scary, yes. Don't even think of ever calling for "emergency services". At the worst, just have your utility company temporarily cut off whatever line is giving you trouble. ;)
After completing the job in just under an hour, he sat in his van for over 10 minutes on the phone with the boss, drafting the bill. Not an efficient use of time...Continuous Improvement anyone?? After allowing the clock to keep ticking, the bill finally handed to me came in at over $300. I laughed and even the plumber released a mild grin and sigh of understanding.
They charged more than double for parts, which is somewhat expected and consistent across most plumbers. The hourly rate was indeed $132/hr! Additionally, they added an extra half hour to the job. When I questioned the time (based on data I had from an incoming phone call received 15 min prior to arrival and the actual finish time), no realistic explanation could be given other than they charge for time to gather parts at the shop, leave and go to and from the job, plus they "round up". :D hahaaa Mind you, these parts are extremely common and likely sitting in his van every day.
Oh my. At my next performance review, I'll be sure and remind my manager about the all extra time I put in. You know, counting the hours I spend each day packing my bag for work, using the bathroom and then commuting to the office. If only I got paid for OT. Oh well.
I am satisfied with the actual plumbing job done, the friendliness of the staff and the plumber assigned to the job. However, the business approach to finances, along with bill drafting tactics are somewhat dishonest. By taking one for the team and writing this review, you can all save yourself some $$$ and try another plumber.
Since they don't seem to provide free estimates, here's a formula you can use.
P = approximate price to pay
X = approximate price of parts at local store
H = approximate job duration, in hours (minimum 1 hr)
P = 2 X + 1.5 H ($132/hr) read more
